Saint James

The Saint James Distillery, located in the middle of sugar cane plantations in the small town of Sainte-Marie on Martinique, has been producing Rum since 1765. This makes it one of the oldest, still active Rum distilleries on the island.

Information about the Distillery
5 Bottles
Martinique, Caribbean
-60.998141 14.784446
Active
https://rhum-saintjames.com/en/
Average tasting notes Tasting notes
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Ginger:
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Tasting
Sweet:
Sweet:
Spices:
Vanilla:
Nuts:
Vanilla:
Fruit:
Herbs:
Zitrus:
Spices:
Lime:
Nutmeg:
Herbs:
Nutmeg:
Zitrus:
Lime:
Grass:
Cinnamon:
Honey:
Pineapple:
Oil:
Hazelnut:
Pepper:
Oil:
Pineapple:
Hazelnut:
Honey:
Grass:
Cinnamon:
Pepper:
Floral:
Oak:
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Heather:
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Details about the Distillery

The Rum

Saint James Rum bears the designation "Rhum Agricole AOC Martinique", which has been awarded since 1996 and is subject to strict guidelines. These include, for example, where the sugar cane is grown and the type of distillation method.

At Saint James, different product ranges are produced. The Saint James Rhum Royal Ambré and the Saint James Rhum Imperial Blanc belong to the Cocktail Rum Range. The Saint James Rhum VSOP is aged for at least four years in oak casks on Martinique and, together with the Saint James Rhum XO aged for six to 12 years in oak casks, is part of the Rhums de dégustation series at Saint James. This collection also includes the Saint James Rhum 12 Years, which was allowed to age for 12 years in small oak casks on the island.

The Production

Saint James uses only sugar cane from its own production to make its Rum. The company has more than 2,000 hectares of sugar cane fields in Martinique, which are harvested by hand. The distillery takes care to keep the impact on the environment as low as possible. Therefore, sugar cane of the "C4" type, which binds the most CO2, is also used. The fibrous residue of the sugar cane, the bagasse, which is produced after pressing, is used as fuel to produce steam for the operation of the distillation columns and the mills. Another part of the bagasse is composted or converted into electricity via a generator. The liquid residue of the distillation, the vinasse, is processed and used to irrigate the sugar cane fields.

Saint James uses only the juice from the first pressing, also known as "virgin cane juice", which is of high quality, for Rum production.

The History

In 1765, Father Edmund Lefébure, who at the time was the head of the Fort Saint-Pierre hospital, founded a sugar cane plantation in Martinique, where 'tafia' (un-aged Rum) was also distilled from molasses residues. Originally intended to supply the soldiers and people in need of this hospital with the rather rustic spirits, the quality was improved more and more. Eventually, the priest began to produce high quality Rum and distribute it initially under the name of the estate 'Trou Vaillant'. As the name was difficult to pronounce in the English colonies, the main consumers of the Rum, it was soon renamed 'Saint James', the anglicised name of Saint Jacques.

In 1882, Paulin Lambert, a merchant from Marseille, took over the Habitation Trou Vaillant along with the Saint James brand. He was also the one who chose a square-bottomed bottle for Saint James Rum and, from 1885, was the first to offer a vintage Rum to his clientele.

During the eruption of the Pelée volcano in 1902, which completely destroyed the city of Saint-Pierre, Saint James was miraculously only partially affected and operations were quickly resumed.

In 1973, the Cointreau company acquired Saint James and built a new distillery in Sainte-Marie in the immediate vicinity of the sugar cane plantations. In 2003, Saint James went to La Martiniquaise.

The Visitor Centre

The Saint James Rum Distillery is open to visitors. In the distillery, guests can take guided tours and visit the Rum museum and the vintage cellar. In addition, a small train runs through the sugar cane plantations to Habitation La Salle. In this former sugar factory from the end of the 17th century, the history of Rhum Agricole in Martinique is shown.

Visitor information

Distillery Adress:

Distillerie Saint-James
7 VC de Bezaudin
Sainte-Marie 97230
Martinique
Tel: +596 596 69 50 37

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